One of the things I've read on the boards over and over again is that fans would like to see us get up early on an opponent and then really step on their throats to finish the game. Go up by 20 by halftime? Make it 40 by the end.

While I would love to see that style from time to time as well, its important to remember that our head coach is Gary Kubiak. Thats not his style. He plays for a lead and then plays to protect that lead.

There are arguments to be made on both sides of this idea -- whether its better to keep your food on the gas pedal or better to eat the clock and "go turtle." But saying that our team is a failure for doing the latter is not accurate. We play the game our coach wants to play. We aren't going to blow teams out by 40 points. We aren't going to score 40+ very often. We have a good defense and he trusts that defense.

In yesterday's game there was a point where we were in 3rd and 10+. I think it was 12. I told my friends that there was a 100% chance of a run or a WR screen. And guess what? WR screen for 4 yards.

Thats the type of plays Kubiak calls when he's ahead. He's not going to risk a turnover when the other team is in scoring position. Instead of being frustrated and thinking that we failed to collect a 3rd down conversion, its important to know "Thats what Kubiak expected to happen, and he's ok with it"

Thats our identity. We play for the lead, and then rely on our run game and superior defense to protect it. Stop thinking of 4th quarters where the other team scores and we don't as failures. We aren't changing, and right now we're 3-0

For the most part the system works. Get a lead, lean on the running game and D to seal it. If Ben doesn't have that costly fumble it looks a lot better yesterday. I would say that you might be selling Gary a little short there. I think he is still and will always be evolving as a head coach. If he needs to change it up a bit to get the job done I think he will. So far there has not been a need to. I trust him and our entire coaching staff.

We are 3-0 for the first time in history. I don't care how we got there, just that we are there.

Now let's see another 16 like it! :texflag:

HOU-TEX

09-24-2012 03:27 PM

Re: Kubiak is who he is

Incompletions stop the clock, runs do not. For me, it's as simple as that. I would've done the same thing in the 4th quarter yesterday. "You play to win the game" (thanks Herm)

Tate's fumble, defense gives up a couple big plays and a bogus call on KJ kept this from being a 20 point blowout. Kubiak couldn't do much about those

Mr teX

09-24-2012 03:30 PM

Re: Kubiak is who he is

The reality of it is, your opponents are professional athletes and they'll make a few plays too......even if you're vastly superior.

You only really see 20 & 30 pt. blowouts at the very very beginning of the season when starters 1st play a full game together, or at the end of the season when teams that are out of it have given up or are sitting starters.

Most teams however, do exactly what he does..keep running the ball (throwing only when they need to keep the chains moving) to keep running the clock so as to get out of there as fast & as injury free as possible.

So i don't put that on the coach, It's more on the players; they expect their opponents to submit & they lose focus. If anything, the coach is usually the guy trying to keep the players focused.

badboy

09-24-2012 03:39 PM

Re: Kubiak is who he is

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtexan02
(Post 2020835)

One of the things I've read on the boards over and over again is that fans would like to see us get up early on an opponent and then really step on their throats to finish the game. Go up by 20 by halftime? Make it 40 by the end.

While I would love to see that style from time to time as well, its important to remember that our head coach is Gary Kubiak. Thats not his style. He plays for a lead and then plays to protect that lead.

There are arguments to be made on both sides of this idea -- whether its better to keep your food on the gas pedal or better to eat the clock and "go turtle." But saying that our team is a failure for doing the latter is not accurate. We play the game our coach wants to play. We aren't going to blow teams out by 40 points. We aren't going to score 40+ very often. We have a good defense and he trusts that defense.

In yesterday's game there was a point where we were in 3rd and 10+. I think it was 12. I told my friends that there was a 100% chance of a run or a WR screen. And guess what? WR screen for 4 yards.

Thats the type of plays Kubiak calls when he's ahead. He's not going to risk a turnover when the other team is in scoring position. Instead of being frustrated and thinking that we failed to collect a 3rd down conversion, its important to know "Thats what Kubiak expected to happen, and he's ok with it"

Thats our identity. We play for the lead, and then rely on our run game and superior defense to protect it. Stop thinking of 4th quarters where the other team scores and we don't as failures. We aren't changing, and right now we're 3-0

The problem with Gary's philosophy is teams can come back on you and most teams including Texans will have "down times" for whatever reason and make bad plays. 20 point leads can become 6 with ball in opponents' hands. If it is last quarter and we have 20 point lead, then sit on it. I am not talking about rubbing dirt in other's face but playing football 100% until whistle blows. If you feel comfortable with 20 then bring in some back ups for experience rather than letting your starting QB get pounded. Yates could have taken more than one snap and allowed Matt some rest.

utahmark

09-24-2012 03:41 PM

Re: Kubiak is who he is

Wr screen's and running play's on 3rd and long has nothing to do with Gary trying to protect a lead. We are a balanced team that does very well when we can either run or pass but when we are forced to do one or the other we have a more difficult time. This team was not built to sit back and throw the ball. We use play action or have Matt role out on bootleg's a majority of our passing plays.

Our line is built to zone block. Matt isnt very mobile. 3rd and long is not one of our strong points. Luckily we don't get into that position very often.

DerekLee1

09-24-2012 03:48 PM

Re: Kubiak is who he is

I don't know what game you were watching, but with a 20-point lead in the 3rd, on that play where Schaub lost a chunk of his ear, he was throwing deep to Andre. Gary doesn't change his offensive game plan regardless of the lead. Hell, we run it a ton when we DON'T have a big lead, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that we're going to run it WITH a big lead. 8-man fronts? We're running the ball. 3-man fronts in dime packages? We're running the ball. The offense is built on play actions from sucking defenses in because they're afraid we're going to run it. It's what we do. 3rd and 8? He's not afraid to run it. 4th and inches? Not afraid to throw it. It's total confidence that your offense is going to get yards no matter what play you call. THAT is Kubiak's "style".

gary

09-24-2012 03:50 PM

Re: Kubiak is who he is

Houston took shots down the field in the second half but did not convert them.

tedr

09-24-2012 03:55 PM

Re: Kubiak is who he is

Quote:

Originally Posted by DerekLee1
(Post 2020903)

I don't know what game you were watching, but with a 20-point lead in the 3rd, on that play where Schaub lost a chunk of his ear, he was throwing deep to Andre. Gary doesn't change his offensive game plan regardless of the lead. Hell, we run it a ton when we DON'T have a big lead, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that we're going to run it WITH a big lead. 8-man fronts? We're running the ball. 3-man fronts in dime packages? We're running the ball. The offense is built on play actions from sucking defenses in because they're afraid we're going to run it. It's what we do. 3rd and 8? He's not afraid to run it. 4th and inches? Not afraid to throw it. It's total confidence that your offense is going to get yards no matter what play you call. THAT is Kubiak's "style".

I believe we just had a 10-point lead on the "ear" play, but I agree with your overall point...Kubes wants to run the ball, and unless we're down by 20 or so points in the 2nd half, that's going to be the first option.

GP

09-24-2012 03:58 PM

Somewhat agree with OP.

My issue is that what happens when it's the Super Bowl, Texans are up 35 to 17 at half....Kubiak plays it a tad safe, per his style, and the opposing team rattles off a TD at start of 3rd quarter?

Gary tries to gear up, but we go 3 & out...opposing team gets a FG.

Now we're up 8. Things stall, other team gets hot...we're losing momentum.

No lead is safe, so you have to score as much as you can to help ensure the opponent cannot score enough to catch up.

#88 should have a TD yesterday but he was slow on the route break at the goal line. He also almost had another TD but failed to drag his second foot inside the end zone.

Folks, #88 sort of blew it for the Broncos....and that means Gary should have been looking at a score deficit NOT a surplus. We gotta learn how to keep scoring TDs. Period.

badboy

09-24-2012 04:12 PM

Re: Kubiak is who he is

Quote:

Originally Posted by GP
(Post 2020921)

Somewhat agree with OP.

My issue is that what happens when it's the Super Bowl, Texans are up 35 to 17 at half....Kubiak plays it a tad safe, per his style, and the opposing team rattles off a TD at start of 3rd quarter?

Gary tries to gear up, but we go 3 & out...opposing team gets a FG.

Now we're up 8. Things stall, other team gets hot...we're losing momentum.

No lead is safe, so you have to score as much as you can to help ensure the opponent cannot score enough to catch up.

#88 should have a TD yesterday but he was slow on the route break at the goal line. He also almost had another TD but failed to drag his second foot inside the end zone.

Folks, #88 sort of blew it for the Broncos....and that means Gary should have been looking at a score deficit NOT a surplus. We gotta learn how to keep scoring TDs. Period.

This is my POV

mokalus

09-24-2012 04:35 PM

Re: Kubiak is who he is

If I really had to nitpick at a Kubiak playcall from yesterday's game, it would be the play-action on the first play of the game when we were on the 6-yard line. I was a bit afraid of it before the play happened, since it seems like Kubiak loves to start games with play-action, but safety or not, a win is a win. Terrific overall game yesterday even if we dropped some INTs.

The Pencil Neck

09-24-2012 05:21 PM

Re: Kubiak is who he is

Quote:

Originally Posted by mokalus
(Post 2020963)

If I really had to nitpick at a Kubiak playcall from yesterday's game, it would be the play-action on the first play of the game when we were on the 6-yard line. I was a bit afraid of it before the play happened, since it seems like Kubiak loves to start games with play-action, but safety or not, a win is a win. Terrific overall game yesterday even if we dropped some INTs.

If he runs the ball there, people would cry that he's too conservative.

WRT the public, Kubes is in a no-win situation. Not that he cares what we think about his play-calling. He's calling plays trying to win and he's got his strategies that he follows to do that.

Texan_Bill

09-24-2012 05:28 PM

Re: Kubiak is who he is

Quote:

Originally Posted by HOU-TEX
(Post 2020878)

Incompletions stop the clock, runs do not. For me, it's as simple as that. I would've done the same thing in the 4th quarter yesterday. "You play to win the game" (thanks Herm)

So would 31 other coaches especially if they were blessed with the running attack that we have. If not, the other coaches that dont, will realize what the NFL stands for... Not For Long.

Texecutioner

09-24-2012 05:33 PM

Re: Kubiak is who he is

Quote:

Originally Posted by GP
(Post 2020921)

Somewhat agree with OP.

My issue is that what happens when it's the Super Bowl, Texans are up 35 to 17 at half....Kubiak plays it a tad safe, per his style, and the opposing team rattles off a TD at start of 3rd quarter?

Gary tries to gear up, but we go 3 & out...opposing team gets a FG.

Now we're up 8. Things stall, other team gets hot...we're losing momentum.

No lead is safe, so you have to score as much as you can to help ensure the opponent cannot score enough to catch up.

#88 should have a TD yesterday but he was slow on the route break at the goal line. He also almost had another TD but failed to drag his second foot inside the end zone.

Folks, #88 sort of blew it for the Broncos....and that means Gary should have been looking at a score deficit NOT a surplus. We gotta learn how to keep scoring TDs. Period.